In second grade, California students will learn about families with two
moms or two dads. Two years later, while studying how immigrants have
shaped the Golden State, they will hear how New York native Harvey Milk
became a pioneering gay politician in San Francisco.

The State Board of Education unanimously approved those changes in
classroom instruction Thursday to comply with the nation's first law
requiring public schools to include prominent gay Americans and LGBT
rights milestones in history classes.

The updates are part of a broader overhaul of California's history and
social science curriculum. During four hours of public testimony, dozens
of speakers criticized the way the framework discusses Muslims, Hindus,
Jews and Japan's use of "comfort women" during World War II, but no one objected to the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

The law also prohibited classroom materials that reflect adversely on
gays or particular religions. Conservative opponents argued that it
should be up to parents to decide how and at what age to broach sexual
orientation with their children and made two unsuccessful efforts to
repeal the law.

The approved framework weaves references to gay Americans and events
throughout the history and social science curriculum, starting in second
grade through discussions about diverse families and again in fourth
grade with lessons on California's place in the gay rights movement.